Delhi has suspended all outdoor sports and school activities as the city’s air quality plunged into the ‘severe’ category. The directive, issued by the Delhi government, follows a Supreme Court order urging swift action to protect children from hazardous pollution levels.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) advised that all outdoor sports events scheduled for November and December be postponed, warning that the current pollution levels pose serious health risks—especially to children, whose developing lungs make them far more vulnerable.
This week, Delhi’s air quality has hovered between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories. On Friday, the city recorded an average AQI of 373, a level experts equate to inhaling the smoke of 10–11 cigarettes per day.
The Supreme Court expressed deep concern, observing that outdoor sports during these months effectively expose schoolchildren to a “gas chamber”. The Delhi High Court also criticised the state government for “shirking responsibility” by allowing such activities to continue despite long-standing pollution risks.
Why the Court’s Intervention Matters
For years, doctors have warned that polluted air harms children more rapidly and more severely than adults. Their faster breathing rate and developing respiratory systems mean they absorb more toxins with every breath.
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 can:
- Reduce lung capacity
- Permanently affect respiratory development
- Trigger or worsen asthma
- Weaken immunity
- Impact cognitive performance
For thousands of families in Delhi, this is now an annual crisis marked by inhalers, persistent coughs, and surging paediatric hospital visits—often rising by 30–40% every November.
